iVillage.com: 18 Weight-Loss Myths Busted

MYTH: Cut Daily Calories By Skipping One Meal

Skipping a meal will just lead to extreme hunger later on, which often means overeating at your next meal. “According to data from the Weight Loss Registry, one of the most powerful habits of successful weight maintainers is eating breakfast,” says Aronson. “Don’t like breakfast food? That’s okay; eat a salad or a wrap in the morning. Your body will thank you for it.” Skipping meals slows your body’s metabolism because it's trying to store calories from other meals. And that can stall your weight-loss efforts. So maintain balance throughout the day -- don't get too full or too hungry. A recent study found that people who eat regularly throughout the day are more likely to keep the weight off, says Berman.

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Just because something is low in fat does not mean it's low in anything else. For example, a SnackPack fat-free chocolate pudding has 90 calories, with 13 grams of sugar as compared to the regular version with 14 grams of sugar and 120 calories. That's a not a big difference. In fact, many low-fat and fat-free foods are more processed with higher in calories, sugar and sodium counts than the “normal” versions. “Plus, fats are essential nutrients and play a role in satiety -- that feeling of fullness,” says author and president of Welltech Solutions Dina Aronson, R.D. So read labels: Food manufacturers add sugars, carbs and sodium to compensate for the lack of fat

Carbohydrates won’t make you fat. It’s what is in carbohydrate-rich foods -- like the sugar and fat in that doughnut -- that should be avoided to maintain a healthy weight. Processed carbs, like breakfast cereals, bagels, English muffins and bread lack the belly-filling fiber to keep you feeling full until your next meal. Simple carbs spike your blood sugar, which just make you crash and feel hungrier. For example, white bread will make you feel less full than whole grain bread, even though they have the same calories, says nutritionist Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D. The bottom line: “Having high-fiber sources of carbohydrates means we feel fuller on fewer calories, and we eat less overall,” says Rachel Berman, R.D., Director of Nutrition at CalorieCount.com. And if you’re eating less, you’re consuming fewer calories.

Oh, if we could just eat our way to thinness. But the truth is that no food can burn body fat. There are grapefruit and cabbage diets that claim they can help melt fat, but the fact is that while they're low in calories, these foods don't replace the treadmill. “It is true, however, that the calories from whole plant foods -- like nuts -- don’t seem to 'stick' as easily as calories from junk food, like cookies,” says Aronson. And don’t believe the 'negative calorie' myth, either. Eating low-calorie foods -- like celery -- won't actually make your calorie count go down, says Nancy Snyderman, M.D., the chief medical editor for NBC News.

Skipping a meal will just lead to extreme hunger later on, which often means overeating at your next meal. “According to data from the Weight Loss Registry, one of the most powerful habits of successful weight maintainers is eating breakfast,” says Aronson. “Don’t like breakfast food? That’s okay; eat a salad or a wrap in the morning. Your body will thank you for it.” Skipping meals slows your body’s metabolism because it's trying to store calories from other meals. And that can stall your weight-loss efforts. So maintain balance throughout the day -- don't get too full or too hungry. A recent study found that people who eat regularly throughout the day are more likely to keep the weight off, says Berman.

Foods that are high in starch such as beans, rice and pasta are actually an important way to get and store energy for the body. While white potatoes and corn get a bad rap, let it be known that you can maintain a healthy weight while eating these two foods in moderation. Potatoes are a rich source of vitamin C and several B complex vitamins, and corn is high in fiber and other nutrients. How you prepare them makes the difference between healthy and unhealthy. Adding a lot of butter or heaping on high-fat toppings, like cheese or sour cream, is what will pack on the pounds

It doesn’t matter what time of day you eat -- calories can’t tell time! What matters is how many calories you’re consuming. So if you work out late at night, don’t worry about eating a meal afterwards. As long as it’s healthy, you’ll stay on track for weight loss. If you want a bedtime snack, consider first how many calories you’ve eaten during that day. Do you have some wiggle room? Then grab a snack like a banana topped with natural peanut butter.

More good news: You can eat sweets, too! You can even eat them for dinner occasionally, says Snyderman. Don’t make it a habit, but allowing yourself a treat here and there will subdue cravings and prevent you from indulging heavily later on. As long as you’re not eating a sundae every night, you’re a-okay. “Researchers from Tel Aviv University found that having dessert for breakfast can actually help people lose weight, possibly because they don’t feel deprived throughout the day,” says Berman.

Some experts advise eating three big meals a day, while others say you should have six small ones when you're trying to lose weight. Keep in mind that when you eat isn't what's important -- you should focus on total calories. (To find out how many calories you should stick to lose weight, check out the American Cancer Society's Calorie Counter). If you're having six small meals per day that keep you full, great. If eating three larger meals works better for you, do that. But if you're eating six large meals per day, then you should probably reevaluate your eating habits.

Though you shouldn’t get on your scale every few hours, keeping track of the pounds you lose or gain is important. “Research from the National Weight Control Registry shows that 75 percent of people who successfully maintain a healthy weight weigh themselves at least once per week,” says Berman. The way your clothes fit (a belt getting tighter, a dress feeling looser) will help gauge your weight loss, it's not enough to keep you on track. Weigh yourself at the same time of day for consistency -- even if you only lose a half pound, you are headed in the right direction.

Red meat can be good for you, if you're eating the right amount, says Aronson. The Scientific Advisory Commission on Nutrition says adults shouldn't eat more than 17 ounces of red meat a week, and no more than 2.5 ounces a day. In general, it's smart to cut back on red meat because its saturated fat could increase heart disease risk. Go for lean cuts such as bison, sirloin, venison or 97-percent lean ground beef in moderation. Red meat is an excellent source of protein, which takes longer to digest, keeping you fuller loner. But humans don't actually need red meat, says Aronson. “If you enjoy it, value quality over quantity and try to find a local farm that raises organic, grass-fed cattle.” Organic isn't processed or filled with additives, which can help with weight loss.

Believe it or not, exercise alone is not going to help you lose pounds. “Calorie control and exercise are both necessary to get to -- and maintain -- a healthy weight,” says Aronson. If you don’t cut calories and exercise, your calorie intake will likely exceed the calories you burn every day, which will prevent you from losing weight. Remember: At the end of the day, what matters is your net calorie count. If you don’t cut calories, you will have a hard time losing weight.

While this could potentially be true, it's not a sure thing -- it’s a lifestyle choice not a weight-loss method. “While a well-balanced, whole-foods, plant-based diet is a proven healthful method of weight loss, it's not necessarily healthy, low calorie, or low fat,” warns Aronson. “A diet of bagels and potato chips is vegetarian, but not healthy or conducive to weight loss. A diet based primarily on vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and fruit is key.”

Yes, nuts are high in fat and calories, but they're a healthy fat that won't clog your arteries. Nuts provide protein, fiber, magnesium and copper. They're a great addition to any salad or the perfect afternoon snack. “Nuts are the most perfect food for hitting the road,” according to Julie Meyer, R.D., founder of Eat Well Global, a nutritionist-led travel app company. “Whether you're looking to add some protein to a hotel continental breakfast or trying to squelch hunger pains at the airport, the protein in a good-sized handful of nuts will keep you satisfied way longer than [a bag of] high-carb pretzels or high-fat chips,” she says.

Not only is dairy healthy, full of nutrients and delicious, eating dairy can actually help you lose weight if you eat the right kind, like low-fat or fat-free yogurt, cheese and milk. Dairy is full of protein, calcium and magnesium, which will help you feel fuller longer. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, milk drinkers might even be able to lose more weight than non-milk drinkers, Berman says.

Whole grains can aid weight loss because they're more filling than processed grains. However, make sure they're really whole grains (some companies and brands dye their products brown). Read the ingredient and look for whole grain” and “whole wheat” at the top of the list; if the first ingredient is "enriched whole wheat flour" or "enriched flour" it's not legitimately whole-grain bread. “And no matter how much whole grain a product has, added sugar, oil or artificial ingredients tend to obscure any benefit from the grain,” says Aronson.

If you do it right, snacking can help in your quest to lose and maintain weight. However, make sure you're honest with yourself -- French fries and milkshakes aren’t healthy. Grab a handful of nuts, fat-free Greek yogurt or sliced lean turkey. “When in doubt, eat a vegetable,” Aronson suggests. “I always have raw vegetables on hand plus high-protein dip, like hummus or black bean, to fuel my snack attack. It’s tough to overdo raw veggies.”

This mentality should be avoided at all costs. If you allow yourself to cheat throughout the day, you won’t see the results you want. A few bites here and there add up, especially if this becomes a frequent habit. Cheat days are certainly allowed -- and encouraged -- however they should be predetermined and planned out, not a little part of every day.

Congratulations, you’ve reached your goal weight! Now what? Just because your confidence is restored and your clothes fit again doesn’t mean you should throw your healthy eating habits out of the window. Dieting is a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. Once you’ve reached your goal weight, you have to maintain it. Make a conscious effort to avoid falling back into the eating habits that made you gain weight in the first place. “Working with a fitness trainer and/or a dietitian on a regular basis will be a tremendous asset in your weight maintenance efforts,” says Aronson.